Hidden Gems: Meet Juan Andres Rodriguez of Juli y Juan LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Juan Andres Rodriguez.

Hi Juan Andres, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi there! We are Juan Andres (raised in Ensenada, Baja California) and Juliana (from Medellin, Colombia). Our journey is a true love story—for food, for life, and for each other. We actually met in beautiful Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and quickly discovered a shared belief: food is a wonderful way to heal, connect, and tell stories. We decided to bring our diverse cultures and passions together, making the jump to Northern Colorado to officially start Juli y Juan’s Kitchen in 2015.

From a $700 Dream to a Catering Evolution
What began as a humble $700 dream quickly blossomed into a 10-year catering evolution. We poured our hearts into the wedding catering industry, hustling out of local commissary kitchens from Loveland to Fort Collins. We brought people together around the table, treating every single client like family. While we recently retired from large-scale catering, we look back on those ten years with so much gratitude. It was a beautiful era that built the foundation of who we are today and deeply connected us to the Northern Colorado community.

Where We Are Today & Where We’re Going
These days, we are thrilled to be focusing on more intimate culinary experiences. We are still actively providing our exclusive Private Chef Services, and we love sharing our industry experience through our boutique hospitality consulting firm, partnering with bars and restaurants to help them thrive.

Our most exciting news is our latest project: you can now find us pouring our passion into Persimmon right here in Fort Collins! We are so energized by this new chapter. No matter how much we evolve or where the journey takes us, our core philosophy remains exactly the same: There is no love more sincere than the love for food. We can’t wait to keep celebrating life and sharing our craft with you all!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road, but every challenge has taught us so much about resilience and adaptability.

Like everyone in the hospitality world, 2020 was a massive hurdle for us. At the time, our core business was built around large-scale wedding catering, and practically overnight, the event industry came to a halt. We had to pivot hard and fast just to survive. While we made it through that storm—and even evolved our business because of it—the truth is that we, along with the rest of the industry, are still feeling the ripples of 2020 today, from shifting consumer habits to the rising costs of doing business.

Beyond the pandemic, we’ve also learned just how sensitive the food and beverage industry is to the broader world. Whenever there is geopolitical turbulence or global economic uncertainty, our industry feels the impact almost immediately. Supply chains get disrupted, the costs of everyday ingredients can spike unpredictably, and people naturally become more cautious with their discretionary spending.

But honestly, navigating those struggles is exactly what pushed us to evolve. It forced us to step back, re-evaluate, and ultimately transition away from massive catering events to focus on what truly brings us joy today: our intimate Private Chef Services, our consulting work to help others survive these same challenges, and our exciting new chapter at Persimmon. The road hasn’t been easy, but it led us exactly where we need to be.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
What We Do & What We Are Known For
At our core, Juli y Juan LLC is a culinary and hospitality group born from the belief that food is the ultimate connector. We spent a decade building a beloved, award-winning wedding catering business across Northern Colorado. Today, we have evolved. We currently specialize in highly curated Private Chef Services, offering intimate, bespoke dining experiences that bring the warmth and creativity of a professional kitchen directly to our clients. In addition, we run a boutique restaurant consulting firm, helping other food and beverage businesses thrive by sharing our industry experience. Most excitingly, we are currently known for pouring our passion into our latest project here in Fort Collins: Persimmon.

What Sets Us Apart
What truly sets us apart is the deep, authentic human connection we bring to the table. We don’t just cook food; we tell stories. Combining Juan Andres’s roots in Ensenada, Baja California, and Juliana’s upbringing in Medellin, Colombia, our approach is deeply personal. But don’t just take our word for it—our clients often say it best. Looking back at our reviews, one of our favorite testimonials beautifully captures our ethos: “Their personalities are upbeat, fun and truly loving. They exude the highest form of gratitude in everything they do; they truly LIVE and LOVE what they do!” Other clients have highlighted that our “food is absolutely delicious, fresh and innovative,” and that we “consistently go above and beyond any and all expectations.” We treat every single client like family, and that level of care translates onto the plate.

What We Are Most Proud Of & What Readers Should Know
Brand-wise, we are most proud of our evolution and our resilience. Growing from a humble $700 dream into a wildly successful catering company, navigating the intense turbulence of 2020, and gracefully transitioning into our current ventures took immense grit. We are incredibly proud that through all the growth, pivots, and industry challenges, we never once compromised on our core philosophy: There is no love more sincere than the love for food.

We want your readers to know that whether you are hiring us for an exclusive Private Chef experience, collaborating with us through our hospitality consulting services, or visiting us at Persimmon, you aren’t just getting a meal or a service—you are being welcomed into our family.

How do you think about happiness?
For us, happiness really comes down to a beautiful balance between the joy of serving others and the quiet peace of our own backyard.

Professionally, there is absolutely nothing like seeing people enjoy our creations. Making people happy through food and providing them with a genuinely good experience is a unique kind of joy that is hard to match. But beyond just cooking, we genuinely love helping people thrive. Whether that is supporting our team, guiding other hospitality professionals through our consulting work, or simply uplifting our community, seeing others succeed brings us so much fulfillment. We feel incredibly humbled that we get to do this for a living and share our craft.

On a personal level, our happiness is found in the quiet, simple moments. For me and Juliana, true peace is just chilling at home, watching our chickens and our bees, and taking the time to care for our plants together. That perfect balance between the high energy of hospitality and the grounding, natural rhythm of our home life is what truly fills our cups.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.juliyjuan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliyjuanskitchen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliyjuanskitchen

Image Credits
John Robson Photography